Years ago Marsha and I sat in a crowded sanctuary with about 500 people packed into a space designed for half that, and listened to a preacher who was, as we would say in the South, a barn burner. The crowd was fully into this preacher. He would raise his voice to thunder level and then drop it to a near whisper. He paced, holding his Bible high. He walked the aisle. He sweated. At one point he asked a series of questions. When someone answered correctly, he would throw them a candy bar. Seriously. Marsha leaned over and whispered that we should leave, but then she tried to intercept a candy bar intended for someone else. When it was over, we walked to our car and got in. Once the doors were closed, Marsha said, “Well, that was disgusting! What did you think of that?” I said, “I really don’t care how someone preaches. What bothered me was that he misquoted the Bible and took verses out of context. He wasn’t prepared to preach. He was prepared to act.”

         I am never going to pack in people like that preacher. I don’t shout, at least not often. I don’t walk the aisles. I don’t throw candy bars. I know I am not electrifying. But I can tell you that when I step into the pulpit, I am ready and prepared to preach. The Bible is a precious gift to be handled carefully. Its words are like jewels of great value. The lessons contained within the pages are life altering. I cannot act in the pulpit.

         I bring this up because I have long been bothered by those who use the Bible and the pulpit to manipulate in order to achieve their own personal agenda. I find that personally offensive.

         And that affects other areas of life, as well. Monday morning I was looking for a worship song for Sunday. Sometimes I will let two or three songs play one after the other. Sometimes when I do that a commercial will pop up, which gives me the opportunity to rub my temples to combat the headache listening to music brings me. I was doing this when I heard a familiar voice. “Hi. It’s me, Nancy. I am sorry to interrupt your scrolling, but I need to talk with you for a minute.” My head really started pounding when I opened my eyes and saw the friendly face of Nancy Pelosi looking back at me. She was so sincere as she told me how the Republicans aimed to destroy this great democracy we call America. Only by voting for Democrats can disaster be averted. I clicked her off.

         If I feel any politician, Democrat or Republican, really cares for me and my loved ones, I will sit and listen to what they say. I may not agree with him or her, but I will listen. The US Representative for our district in Ohio, a district that was very large, would send flowers to the funeral of any veteran who passed away. If he was not in D.C. and the veteran was a World War II vet, this congressman would come to the visitation or the funeral himself. Sometimes with his wife, but he always came. He would go up to the family with no fanfare and usually not even tell them his name. He would talk just for a bit and then quietly slip out. I once stepped up to him and held out my hand. He waved it away. In a whisper, he said, “No, I don’t want to attract any attention.” He represented these people in D.C. and he was humbled by the opportunity. I voted for him every two years. A serious man of his people, the type of person who didn’t consider himself a leader, but rather a servant.

         What would it be if all religious ‘leaders’ and politicians and news outlets were like that lone congressman? On the subject of abortion, religious types would be urging prayer. If they were part of a large part of religion that favors abortion, or if they were of the large part that opposes abortion, they would all be urging prayer. Politicians, regardless of which side of the question they stand on, would be telling people that abortion isn’t outlawed, it is just up to each individual state now. The news media would be urging calm when they reported the news.

         But, personal agendas explode. From denominational offices and from the pulpits. You will seldom see a politician standing before a camera and telling the truth. And the news media, well, we all know about the news media.

         The politician I mentioned? He retired when it was found he had cancer. A Cleveland news station reported that this particular politician had a certain net worth when he went to Washington and, almost twenty years later, had a net worth that was actually less than he had at the beginning. He served his district. His name is not important, because you have never heard of him. He quietly and efficiently served, and it cost him financially. He was also a born again Christian.

         Why can’t religious ‘leaders’ and politicians and news media people simply give their lives to their calling? Because they are actors, they have agendas and people, for whatever reason, follow them. Don’t be sheep.